Unconditionally
by Light of the Dawn
Summary: Noah uses his sarcasm to push people away because he's afraid of being hurt, but who will he hurt in the process? Oneshot. Nawn aka Noah/Dawn. Based on the song Unconditionally by Katy Perry.


**I definitely do not write nearly as much Nawn as I ought. Here's hoping to change that this summer!**

**Based on the song _Unconditionally_ by Katy Perry.**

**I don't own Total Drama.**

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She blinked, holding back tears. Sure, she could see in his aura that he didn't mean what he said – that he was just afraid, but it still hurt. It still stung.

He had this tendency to push people away. He used his sarcasm and superior intellect to create a safe distance at which to keep the world. But she could tell he wasn't as uninterested as he pretended. She could see that he was a kindred spirit – he was just as lonely as she was. She could tell they were so similar.

But where she sought out the company of creatures to replace her lack of human contact, he sought out the company of protagonists and followed them as they pursued adventure through the realms of his beloved novels. They were lonely, but for different reasons. She was a social outcast – the weird girl. And he was afraid of creating an emotional bond with another person, for fear they would abandon him and he would end up hurt.

There was so much fear that he tried to hide under a mask of sarcasm and witty rhetoric; his past was a lot to bear. He had abandonment issues, and it seemed that his dog was the only creature that he willingly let himself feel attachment to. She didn't mind though – they all had their bad experiences and everyone had their own way of coping.

His was to pretend like he didn't care in the slightest, like it never bothered him. To hold it all in and to push away anyone who got too close. He'd pushed her away, but she was insistent, so he acted like he merely tolerated her, but she knew that their relationship was far deeper than that. As much as he had pretended to brush her off as the crazy psychic girl, she could sense that he accepted her as a fellow intellectual, even if he did think her beliefs were preposterous.

"I understand." She said with a nod, tears still stinging her eyes. They were becoming increasingly difficult to hold back.

"Why we can't be together?" he said curtly, keeping his back angled slightly towards her as if to block her out. "Good, that saves time and tears."

Her breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn't speak. Quickly wiping away a tear that escaped its confines with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath. "No, I meant . . . never mind. If you'd prefer it this way, I won't push it."

"I would prefer it this way." his tone of carelessness and lack of interest was forced – although only someone who paid close attention to the young man could have noticed.

She stood up, taking a deep breath to keep the tears back. She didn't want this, but he wasn't ready for this level of closeness quite yet, and she accepted that. She didn't want to, but she would never force him to stay if he felt trapped or suffocated by someone not keeping the distance he was comfortable with.

"This doesn't change how I feel, you know."

"Well that's unfortunate." He told her coolly, finally breaking the silence. "Because I don't need – want – I don't want you."

Her breath caught in her throat at his harsh words. She could see in his aura that he didn't mean them, but they still hurt. Her voice wavered when she spoke. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

He recoiled, still refusing to look at her. Her lips pursed, she waited a moment, then nodded, moving towards the door. She sincerely hoped that he would come around and accept that she wasn't going to throw him away like some before her had. Like others he had let get close to him had. She hoped that he would let go and let himself feel freely instead of always holding back like he did.

Pausing with her hand on the door frame, she turned back for a moment. "If you change your mind, let me know. I'll always be here for you."

"Of course you will." he said sarcastically.

_I will. Because I love you_.

But she knew that he wasn't ready to hear those words quite yet.

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**So wanted to try to portray a vulnerable Noah, but I'm not too sure if I like how this turned out. What do you guys think? Is this believable for a vulnerable Noah?**

**Constructive critique appreciated! Please review!**


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